The Latest

Buckle up. You’ve done the work, and you’ve got the debt to prove it, but you’re finally finishing college and ready to start looking for a job. Piece of cake, right? Not to scare you, but the unemployment rate for recent college graduates is at 8.5%, and the underemployment rate is at 16.8%. That doesn’t mean …

Once a month (or so), I’ll share a dozen things that have inspired me to greater personal, professional, and financial success in my life. I hope they bring similar success to your life. 1. Sir Terry Pratchett on the impact of a person “No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the …

According to the IRS, the average tax refund so far this year has reached a staggering $3,539. It’s still early, however. And as the tax agency notes, most of the big refunds are filed quickly since the people receiving them don’t want to wait for their payday. Still, last year’s refunds for tax year 2013 were averaging around …

At dinner a few days ago, I was discussing the concept of financial independence to a friend of mine who had really never heard of the concept. He and his wife are actively saving for retirement, but they fully expect to retire between the ages of 62 and 65, not earlier, so the idea of …

For many people, two of the most frightening words in the English language are death and taxes. Even among those for whom the words are not terrifying, they evoke strong emotion. Another word that generates strong emotion is retirement. Unlike death and taxes, that word usually brings a smile to people’s faces. That is, until …

Filing for bankruptcy is often seen as a scary but necessary option. But it’s important to know that even when you’re facing what seems like financial ruin, you have choices. Bankruptcy laws have changed over the past few years and offer benefits as well as drawbacks to filing. If you’ve talked with a lawyer about …

The other day, I came across a really good article at Eat Local Grown entitled “Ten Daily Habits of Frugal People.” Here’s that list: 1. Frugal people use everything right to the last drop. 2. Frugal people like to stay home. 3. Frugal people don’t spoil their children. 4. Frugal people have productive hobbies. 5. …

Do you hate your job? Go on, you can tell us. If so, you’re not alone. In fact, I find that the vast majority of people don’t like their work and wish they could be doing something different. They dream of being able to work for themselves or work from wherever they want. Sometimes, they …

Americans, as a whole, are not very good at managing their finances. And it seems the biggest challenge — for those of us not among the country’s wealthiest citizens, anyway — is paying our bills. There’s a number of problems surrounding our bill-paying habits, including not paying the bills on time, incurring late fees, letting some bills …

It may be surprising, but I’ve found over and over again during the last several years that one of the most important elements of frugality in my life is trust. The simple act of building up trusting relationships with people in my life, then relying on those trusting relationships, has made a tremendous difference. Yes, …

Books worth budgeting for

My new book, The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams, is available in bookstores now. Check out some of the life-changing experiences the book has given readers!

Check out my book, 365 Ways to Live Cheap, available in bookstores everywhere! It's filled with 365 great tactics you can apply to your personal finances, from frugal tips to great ideas for managing your money.